Storm or Fire?
by future author at work
Summary: It's been twenty years since TLO. With half bloods disappearing and no why of figuring out how, the world has never been more lost. It looks like it's time for the next prophecy to be fulfilled, but will these half bloods be able to survive? Please R
1. Prologue

_Seven half-bloods shall answer the call_

_to storm or fire, the world must fall_

_An oath to keep with a final breath_

_And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death_

I didn't look back as I ran with all of my might. It was quiet; too quiet. My pursuer could be anywhere, anything, but all I could do was run. _Where are you?_ I thought in my head repeatedly. What good was twin telepathy if you couldn't even get a response? Unless, of course, he was dead.

I felt an arm grab my wrist and pull me around a corner. My first instinct had been to scream. However, this was a presence I knew well, and so I knew, I was safe.

"Pierce," I sighed, hugging him, allowing my body to sag against him. "Thank God. I thought you were dead!"

"I'm fine," he said, hugging my back. "We have to get out of here."

I nodded my agreement. Together, we ran. We didn't know where we were going, but we didn't care. We just needed to get away.

I'm not sure just what happened, but soon, everything went black.

I opened my eyes to find myself in a dark room. My head was spinning, and I couldn't even see my own hand in front of my face. "Pierce?" I called. I didn't care if someone heard me. If we had already been captured, it didn't matter. "Pierce?"

"Shh," a voice whispered. A gentle hand was placed on my should and I was guided back onto the bed, my head resting on a comfortable pillow. "You need rest. Your brother's alright. He's sleeping."

"Who are you?" I asked, my hands ready to shoot up and knock someone's face in if I didn't receive answers. "Show yourself."

"I would," the voice replied, a soft female voice, "but I'm afraid the power's out, and I haven't been given a flashlight or candle."

Within a few moments, the lights flickered on and I was able to take in my surroundings. I was lying in a bed, and Pierce lay in a bed adjacent to mine. A woman sat at the foot of my bed. She had long blond hair and storm gray eyes. She smiled slightly at me.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Okay, I guess," I mumbled. "Who are you?"

"I'm a half-blood, and so are you and your brother."

"A half-blood?"

"It means you're half-human and half-god," the woman replied. "I'm sorry for being so blunt, but I'm afraid we don't have time for pleasantries right now. We really must get you trained."

"Trained for what?" I asked.

"War."

"Okay, I don't know who you are," I began, going on the defensive, "but I'm just a kid. I'm not ready to go to war, and I'm not going to go to war. And even more importantly, how can I be part god? There's only one God! I'm Christian!"

"I don't know about God, but there are many _gods_, as in lower case," the woman continued. "Like the Greek gods. It's a long story, and it'll be easier to explain once your brother awakens."

"Who _are_ you?" I nearly screamed.

"My name is Annabeth Chase, and I'm your mother."

**So what do you guys think of the prologue? Please Review**


	2. Chapter 1: Until First Blood

**So, who saw the Percy Jackson movie? I was so disappointed, I almost left the movie three times and I completely cried at the end. The only thing the screen writer got right was the character names! They practically changed the plot, they took out some of the most important characters, and they made my favorite god look like a mix between Mic Jagger and my mom's ex-husband. The only decent thing about it was the fact that it didn't drag on, and thank God it didn't drag on, or I would have killed myself. **

**Anyway, now that my rambling is over, here's the chapter.  
**

Annabeth refused to speak another word until Pierce woke up. I waited so long that when his eyes finally opened, I was already forcing Annabeth to talk. Of course, afterwards, I wished he had never woken up.

"Oh my GOD! That's so cool!" He exclaimed when Annabeth spoke about being a half-blood. Pierce had always been a geek in school, and his favorite subject had always been, wait for it, history. Add that to the fact that he was obsessed with Greek mythology, and you got his dream come true. Of course, being the sane one, I wasn't very convinced.

"Pierce, are you seriously listening to this nonsense?" I asked. "She's obviously making up some joke to drive us crazy."

"So was that snake woman a joke too, because I'm not laughing," Pierce replied, and I found myself at a loss for words. Okay, so the monster that had been chasing us was clearly real, but even Christian's believed in demons, right? Why should I believe in Greek mythology when I had my own standard religion to stick by?

"Yeah, well, this crazy lady also claims that she's our mother. That's insane, Pierce. We already have a mother," I said, hoping that this would be enough to convince him.

Instead, he turned to stare at Annabeth with wide eyes. "You're our mom?" he asked, his voice full of wonder.

"Pierce!" I screamed. "Listen to yourself! This is crazy!"

"It really isn't that crazy, Mara," Pierce replied. "I told you we had to be adopted. Mom and Dad have blond and red hair. Both of those colors are recessive traits. That would mean that there was _no one_ in their family line who ever had, or ever could have black hair like you. It all makes sense now!"

"You're told that you're part human, part god, that there are monsters out there who want to kill us, and that some woman you just met is your mother, and you think everything makes sense now?" I asked, wondering if he hit his head harder than I had thought.

"Look," Annabeth caught in, "I know it's a lot to take in right now, but we really need to prepare you. Half-bloods have been disappearing. If we can't figure out what's going on, there might not be any half-bloods left. Besides, you and your brother could be next."

"Don't bother," Pierce sighed. "Once Mara mixes her logic into a situation, she's unreasonable."

"I'm never unreasonable," I fought back. "I just want some good, solid evidence that this is real!"

"You could take a blood test," Pierce suggested.

Annabeth sighed. "There's no time! If we don't get you to start your training, you may not be alive tomorrow."

As much as I still didn't believe in all of this, I knew in my heart that Annabeth wasn't lying. If I had to, I would play along with this stupid game if it meant Pierce and I would be okay. "Fine. What do we have to do?"

Annabeth smiled, her face looking relieved. "I think it would be best for us to start with sword training. It's something that every half-blood needs to know. It can save your life."

"Okay," I sighed.

Annabeth led us out of the room and into a field. As I looked around, I saw wilted plants and trees, and they made me shiver. It was clear that this place had once been happy, but looking at it now, I found myself wanting to run home.

"What happened to this place?" Pierce beat me to the question.

"The Golden Fleece was stolen, the half-bloods have been disappearing, and Dionysus is gone," Annabeth replied.

I had no clue what she was talking about, but Pierce nodded as if he understood. He gave me a look that said, '_I'll explain later_.'

We entered into a large room with swords hanging around the room. There was enough space for dozens or more people since the room was the size of a gym, but besides the three of us who had just entered, there was only one person inside. He looked like he was in his early thirties with black hair, and green eyes. I was completely pulled in by how he moved with a sword in his hand as he sliced through dummies, chopping off heads and stabbing them through their nonexistent hearts.

"Wow," I mumbled.

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face us. He examined us quickly before smiling, his face no longer holding the hard edge it had when he had battled the dummies.

"Percy," Annabeth said, "Pierce and Mara need to learn how to defend themselves."

The man, Percy, nodded, once again scanning us over. "I take it neither of you has ever used a sword before."

"Not really," I said honestly. I flushed, overcome with embarrassment. I wasn't sure why, but I really wanted to impress him.

"That's fine," he mumbled, almost to himself. "We'll just have to find you one you're comfortable with."

"Alright then," Annabeth said. "I'll leave them with you since I have some things I need to take care of."

As Annabeth began to rush out of the room, Percy called her back. A look passed between them, one I couldn't even begin to understand. "It'll be fine," Annabeth mumbled before quickly retreating.

Percy turned to us and smiled again. "Alright. Let's start by finding each of you a weapon."

Easier said than done. Of course, for some people, finding a weapon was easier than for others. For example, it only took me a minute to find a sword. It felt a little off, but I was still able to walk around and move my arm with it clasped in my hand. Pierce, however, continued to try out weapon after weapon, but he couldn't even seem to hold onto one without toppling over.

"What next?" I asked Percy.

"Next, you need to get into a proper stance. You'll never get an attack in on anyone with a base like that."

It took twenty minutes of Percy shifting my arms and legs around for me to finally get into an acceptable stance in his eyes. He stood back and looked me over, making sure that I was perfectly straight.

"Alright," he said, picking up a sword. "Now, I want you to try to get a mark on me."

Raising me weapon, I lunged at him, aiming to strike him in the leg. He dropped his sword, grabbed my wrist, and twisted it until my sword clattered to the floor. "You're being predictable," hesaid, picking up his sword and motioning for me to do the same.

I picked up the gleaming weapon, and thought about another strike. I decided that my best chance would be to fake to the left and strike him in the shoulder. However, as I tried to execute the plan, he grabbed my arm, ripped the sword away from me, and slid it across the floor mumbling, "too slow."

And so it continued. Time and time again, I tried to hit him where it hurt, and he simply yanked my weapon away from me and told me to try again. "You need to think, Mara. Fighting isn't only about strength."

I took a deep breath and looked him over. If I could find a weak spot, I might be able to hurt him. I noticed that when he moved, he relied solely on his right arm. I could use that to my advantage, but when I tried to strike him in the arm, he'd stopped me. I also noticed that he leaned slightly more to one side than the other. If I could get him to move just a little more off balance, I could trip him, and nail him anywhere I wanted to.

I readied my legs to sprint, and took off. I ran to the right, forcing him to lean slightly more on his left leg as he stepped back. I aimed my sword towards his chest, but before he could grab it, I redirected my momentum towards his feet. Instead of falling over as I had hoped, he simply leaped back, grabbed my wrist, and forced my hand to release its hold on the weapon.

"Very good," he said. "Just not good enough."

We continued for another hour. I would swing ridiculously at him and hope my sword found its target, and he would simply stop me before I could do any damage. With every attempt, I became more infuriated and more discouraged. I couldn't win no matter what I did.

"Alright, I think it's time we start changing your weapon. After all, you'll never know which your most comfortable with unless you try a few different ones," Percy said, picking up another sword and handing it to me.

And so the pattern continued again. After every failed attempt, he would hand me another sword which would only lead to another failed attempt. It didn't matter if the sword was big or small, heavy or light, I couldn't seem to get a mark on the guy.

"Are you ready for a challenge?" Percy asked.

'_Yeah, because all of this has been real easy,_' I thought sarcastically.

"The sword I'm about to hand you is incredibly dangerous. Its a very formidable weapon that nearly killed me on a few occasions," he explained. He picked up one of the weirdest swords I had ever seen. It was hard to describe it, but just looking at it had me mesmerized. "This blade is double sided. One side is steel to kill humans, and the other is celestial bronze to hurt monsters. Either side can kill us. It's called Backbiter," he said as he handed me the weapon.

I held it in my hand, finding it more comfortable than I had expected. '_Backbiter_,' I thought. '_Just the name itself is pretty creepy_.' Still, I felt almost invincible with it in my grasp. As I moved, Backbiter lithely moved with me. It was almost like having an extension of my arm. Suddenly, I was ready to face Percy.

I struck first, hurdling Backbiter as hard as I could toward his chest. Before it could strike flesh, however, Percy parried me away with his own sword. I changed my tactic and came at him from the side. Once again, he stopped me. However, unlike our previous battles, I wasn't discouraged when he stopped my strike. Instead, I felt empowered. I knew that I was just beginning.

We continued this pattern a while more. More than once, I almost reached his body, but he managed to swat me away at the last minute. My new plan was to feint left, but really come towards the right. He seemed to anticipate my move as I went left than right and his sword came forward to stop me. At the last second, I decided to actually strike at the left side of his body. Percy's sword which was already moving toward the right was unable to change its course as I ducked down and came up, putting a gash in his side with the celestial bronze side of Backbiter.

Percy dropped his weapon, more in shock than in pain and turned to stare at me. I was proud knowing that I had surpassed my mentor. I had finally won. Of course, my joy began to fade when I noticed the blood rushing out of his side.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

Percy stared at me for a moment before realizing his wound and taking a moment to examine it. "I'm fine," he mumbled, clearly thinking hard about something. "Take your brother to dinner. I'll see you both here tomorrow."

**So, what did you guys think? Please review since they're like fuel that keeps me going. :D**


	3. Chapter 2: Capture the Flag

**Everybody, thanks for the reviews. They are so helpful and very inspirational. Now, some people were asking as to why Percy wasn't invincible and I _will_ explain that although I don't think it will be in this chapter because I want to try to keep everything in a good context. And about Mara and Pierce's father, that will also be explained, just stay tuned. :D**

Dinner was very confusing. Everyone was seated at a table based on their Olympian parent. As little sense as that made to me, it seemed even stupider that you _had_ to sit at the table of your Olympian parent. Well, to make matters more confusing, the only somewhat Olympian like parent I could think of was Annabeth, and she was simply a half-blood.

"You can sit at the Athena table if you want," Annabeth explained. "She is, after all, you're grandmother. Or, if you'd prefer, you may sit at the Hermes table. Since Hermes is the god of travelers, he'll take pretty much anyone."

My dork of a brother decided that sitting with a bunch of brainiacs and discussing math notes was just about the coolest thing ever, so he sat with the Athena table. Since the idea didn't quite appeal to me, I found it better to try to squeeze onto the overloaded table with the Hermes cabin. Everyone seemed to get along perfectly well like a close knit family. Seeing as how they all were family, I guess it shouldn't have come as such a shock to me.

"Hey," a girl sitting next to me said. She didn't look much like the other demigods at the table. Instead, she had golden blond hair, hazel eyes, and a really big smile. "I'm Nora. Who are you?"

"Mara," I replied.

"Cool," she said, her voice cheery. "I've never seen you before. When did you get here?"

"Just today."

"Cool. Are you another daughter of Hermes? Or do you not know who your parent is because we get plenty of those too..."

"I don't know who my parent is," I replied. Sure, I knew Annabeth, but I didn't exactly consider her a parent, and that also didn't exactly put me in a cabin.

"Oh, that's cool," Nora continued. "Like I said, there are a bunch of people who don't get claimed immediately. I'm sure you'll find out soon."

I nodded in appreciation. She was kind of annoying with all of her babbling, but it was nice to find someone who didn't mind talking to the new girl.

"Attention, everyone!" a voice called from the front of the dining pavilion. I looked over to find a man who was only half a man. His bottom half was full blown horse. I knew that I had heard of these before, but I couldn't remember what they were called. "Welcome everyone to another great day at camp. Now, we have two new campers with us today. I expect that young Amarantha and Pierson will be treated with the greatest respect. Now, to welcome these new guests, we will be having a game of capture the flag after dinner. I hope you all find your teams easily and please welcome our new campers into your groups."

Once the horse-man thing was done speaking, we all got our food. Of course, getting food wasn't really all that exciting when you have to push the best morsel on your plate into a fire. Nora explained that it was a sacrifice to the gods, but couldn't we sacrifice something a little less tasty? I through my juiciest piece of meat into the fire reluctantly and said "for Athena" since she was the only Olympian relative that I knew of.

Finally, I returned to my seat next to Nora and began to ate my dinner. Even after getting rid of the best piece of meat, the whole thing was delicious. I hadn't even realized just how hungry I was until the delicious treat landed on my tongue.

"Mara, you'll be on our team, okay?" Nora asked.

I nodded although it took me another moment to realize that she was talking about for the capture the flag game. "I, um, well, I'm not the fastest runner," I admitted. I was definitely better at all things physical than Pierce, but I had a tendency to stumble when I ran. Just about everything else came easily, but that simple task always seemed to be mangled by me.

"Don't worry about it," Nora replied. "You can take up defense. That's where I usually play anyway."

"Okay," I mumbled, slightly relieved that I would have to run and trip over half of my teammates. "So whose on our team?"

"Well, the whole Hermes cabin obviously. We also usually pair up with Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, Nemesis, and Demeter. And, of course, on the rare occasion that there's someone in Poseidon, we usually team up with them too," Nora explained.

I nodded my head thinking about the power of the gods that we had on our side. Athena's intelligence and Apollo's archery could definitely be upper hands although I wasn't really sure as to what the others were known for.

After dinner, we all met outside to prepare for the game. A tall boy with dirty blond hair and light green eyes was in charge and he set us all into our positions. I wasn't even near able to remember everyone's name that was on our team, but I was able to learn the people on defense. There was Nora, Avery, a blond boy with green eyes, a toned body, and dimples when he smiled from the Apollo cabin, Lana, a girl with strawberry blonde hair and bright blue eyes from the Aphrodite cabin, Joshua, a boy with a lanky form, brown hair, and brown eyes from the Nemesis cabin, and me. All in all, they seemed like pretty decent people. Sort of.

"Hey, Lenny," Avery said, slinging an arm around Nora's waist. "How are you?"

She pulled away from him, pushing his arm aside. "Get serious, will you? I don't want to lose again."

"Sorry, baby, I didn't realize it meant so much to you," he said, showing her a dazzling smile.

"Don't call me baby," she snapped, although after a moment, she smiled.

Joshua helped me put on my armor. I asked him why it was necessary to wear armor during a harmless game of capture the flag, and he laughed at me. Afterwards, he handed me a sword and told me to guard the west. Gods, I wished I had a compass.

Avery grabbed my arm and pulled me over to the side. "This side is west," he said. Although I had no idea where was west until he told me, I was still only seconds away from punching him for making me look like an idiot. Before I could make my move, however, the game began.

Members of both teams poured across the boundaries and through the woods to try and reach the other team's flag. Before I knew it, I was completely surrounded by members of the other teams, rushing in to grab my flag. I raised my sword and began to parry some of their attacks. They weren't nearly as skilled as Percy, but they definitely gave me a run for my money.

I was battling a kid with faded brown hair and eyes that were a little too close together when I noticed someone reaching for the flag. I managed to rid my opponent of his weapon and turn to the matter at hand. I found myself face to face with a boy with black hair and a pair of practically glowing blue eyes. In his right hand was our team's flag.

"Hello," he said, smiling brightly at me. "You're Amara right? The new girl?"

I nodded stupidly, wondering what kind of trick he was playing. "Yeah. And you are?"

"Cal," he said, extending the hand that wasn't currently holding the flag. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

I stared at his hand wondering what would come out a shoot me if I took it. After a few moments, he dropped it and blushed. "Gods, I should probably take this back, huh?" he said, holding up the flag as if he had just noticed he was holding it.

"I don't think so," I said, holding my weapon so it gleamed in the sunlight, hoping it instilled some fear in him.

"Oh come on, we just met. We shouldn't fight..."

I took a swing at his neck. Lucky for him, and probably for me since a death would probably get me into pretty big trouble, he had very fast reflexes and managed to leap back out of my sword's range. "Gosh, I didn't know you felt so strongly about this," he said.

He reached down and grabbed a small little dagger. I smiled. The weapon might be helpful if he knew how to use it properly, but I had the advantage of distance. My sword was at least three times as large as his tiny little knife. I could slice his head off before he could even manage to reach me with his weapon.

I took a swipe at him again, but this time he dived. I mean, he _dived_. He looked almost like a swimmer jumping into a pool, only he was jumping straight into solid ground. Just as his body touched the ground, he disappeared. I stared dumbfounded at the spot at which he had just stood.

Suddenly, I felt his grip on my wrist. I turned around just in time for him to shake my weapon loose and toss it about twenty feet. "Sorry," he said. "Nothing personal. I just prefer my head on my shoulders."

Before I could respond, he was running. He ran all the way back to his side without a singly obstacle, winning the game for his team and leaving me feeling like a fool.

**So, this chapter took a bit longer to write then I had planned and hoped. Anyway, here it is and it's a pretty good length, so tell me what you think in your reviews. Thanks. :D**


	4. Chapter 3: Practice Makes Perfect

**Okay, so reviews have been slim to none so I'm thinking if I don't get any reviews for this chapter, I just won't continue. Sorry guys, but if you can't make the little effort it takes to tell me whether or not you're still interested, I can't make the effort it takes to keep the story going. Anyway, on a lighter side, I have some pretty cool ideas of where the story is going so keep in tuned and please review. **

After the game, Nora came to tell me that I did a great job and that the loss wasn't my fault. I didn't care. I knew I shouldn't have blamed myself, but my competitive nature had wanted nothing more than to win and I had failed.

When it came time to go to sleep, I slept with the Hermes cabin. Nora and the rest of them were more than welcoming about my stay, and I couldn't help but feel happy for the first time in long while.

Of course, the following morning, things began to go downhill. We all ate breakfast. Once again, I sat at the Hermes table while Pierce sat with his friends at Athena. Afterward, everyone had chores or what not to do, but Pierce and I were forced to go back to training with Percy. Being the two newest Campers and Camp Half-Blood, we were apparently considered the weakest and most likely to get murdered on the first attempt. Thanks for the confidence boost, guys.

Percy, of course, wouldn't provide any form of compliment to my fighting. Actually, he barely showed any emotion at all as his sword continue to rebound off of mine until he threw a blow strong enough to knock the weapon from my hand. Pierce continued to try out different weapons, none of which seemed to fare well with him.

"What's the point of this if we're not getting any better?" I asked. Pierce was holding a sword awkwardly. swinging it at a dummies head and missing by a good four or five inches.

"On the contrary, Mara, you're improving by a lot," Percy replied. "You're brother, on the other hand..." Percy lowered his voice so Pierce couldn't hear him. "There really isn't any hope for him."

I couldn't help but laugh. In school, Pierce, being the smart one, was always the one to be applauded by all of the teachers for being an overachiever. It was nice to know that someone finally realized that I could be better than him at something.

"Can we do something else?" Pierce asked, dropping his sword to the ground. "This sucks."

"If you can't even carry a sword, how do you expect to fight off a monster?" Percy asked.

"He doesn't," I replied. "He's planning to run away screaming like a little girl and leave me to clean up the mess like always."

Pierce glared at me, and I smirked.

"Alright, you guys can take a break," Percy said, sighing and running a hand through his hair. "Once you come back, we get serious."

I wasn't sure how I felt about that. He was already kicking my butt, and the last thing I wanted was to look like even more of a pathetic fighter.

Pierce and I ate lunch with the rest of the campers. I returned to my seat next to Nora at the Hermes table, and everyone acted as if they had been expecting me.

Once we were finished eating, I went to find my brother. Half way there, however, I was stopped by Cal. "Hey," he said, smiling brightly at me.

I pushed passed him, wanting nothing more than to get away and find Pierce. "Mara," he said, reaching out and grabbing my arm. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass or insult you."

"You didn't," I snapped, thinking in my mind that it had been my fault anyway. "It's just a stupid game. It doesn't matter."

"Okay, good," Cal said, allowing me to take a few more steps before he stopped me again. "So, um, maybe we can hang out some time?"

"I don't think so," I said. When I stopped to look at him, I couldn't help melting a little.

"I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I was hoping maybe we could be friends," Cal replied, smiling again. He had a nice smile, but I forced the thought out of my head, not wanting to talk to him. "I mean, I don't see why not, right?"

"Wrong," I said. "Sorry, but I don't like to talk to annoying, desperate losers."

Cal stared at me for a moment, and I took my chance to get away.

When I met up with Pierce, he began a long rant about how great the Athena kids are. He told me about how smart and creative they were, and that they were also skilled in battle and just about everything else. I did my best to ignore him. I wasn't completely sure as to why I had been mean to Cal, but I didn't completely regret it either. There was something about him that I didn't like, something that told me to stay away.

We picked up practices where we had left off. Once again, Percy effortlessly kicked my butt. After a few attempts, I threw my sword to the ground and gave up. "This is hopeless. I'm never going to be able to beat you!"

"Especially not if you give up," Percy said. I stared at him. "I want you to try using a different weapon this time."

"I've already used all of the swords," I mumbled.

"Not all of them," he said, handing me the sword in his hand. I took it, weighing it in my hands. Unlike the other swords, it felt much more comfortable where it rested.

"You're giving me your sword?" I asked.

"Well, since you can't seem to do much with anything else, I figure it's worth a try," Percy said, picking up my fallen sword and taking up a fighting stance. "You ready?"

I held the sword in my hand, waiting for him to take the first swing. When he struck at me, I found my arm shooting out just in time to parry his attacks. Unlike the other weapons I had used, this one didn't weigh me down or fly out further than I had wanted. It moved perfectly with me, almost like an extension of my arm.

The fight continued for a few moments. As Percy lunged, I forced my sword upward, knocking the weapon from his hand and watching as it skidded across the floor.

"Good job," Percy mumbled. "Now try again."


	5. Chapter 4 Promises Are Made To Be Broken

**I'm sorry it took longer than I had originally planned to finish this chapter. I had been busier this spring break than I had expected. Anyway, I'll try to get another chapter up immediately, but if I can't, thank you all for being so patient. :D**

We finished at sunset. I dropped my sword, my body filled with aches and pains. Still, I took comfort in the fact that Percy had been wounded just as much as I had. As I returned the sword to him, I found myself desperately wishing to hold on to it. There was something about it that made me feel comfortable, and I didn't want to let that feeling go.

Afterward, Annabeth called us over to her little part of the camp. She lived in a small hut pushed off to the corner of the camp. She seemed almost a little too excited as she ushered us inside. Pierce seemed excited as well.

"So, how have things been going for you two? Okay?" she asked, sitting down across from us on a loveseat.

Pierce smiled. "It's amazing. I can't believe this place is really real, you know! Everything's just so...cool!"

"Well, I'm glad you like it," Annabeth said, turning to me. "How about you Mara?"

"I wouldn't mind going home," I mumbled.

"I'm sure it'll just take you some time to get accustomed to everything," Annabeth replied. "Every camper takes a different amount of time to get used to Camp Half-Blood since most of us haven't been raised around this type of environment."

"Gods, I sure wish I was," Pierce said. "Can you imagine? It would be so cool."

"Not really," I mumbled and Pierce glared at me. I felt almost resentful towards Pierce because he was accepting Annabeth so easily. Besides the fact that I wasn't even sure if I believed she was truly our mother, there was the fact that even if she was, she had given us up at birth. Add that to the fact that we had real parents, and I felt like Pierce was betraying them.

As soon as I got the chance to leave, I took it. I wanted to run as far away as possible. I wanted to go home to my parents.

* * *

The following day, Pierce and I were able to get out of the whole sword practice thing since Percy had apparently left camp to take care of some 'private business.' It was a relief to know that I wouldn't have to get my butt kicked for once, although I hated not knowing what was happening around me.

Pierce really wanted to study up on some books that Annabeth had given him, and somehow, he convinced me to sit with him in the empty Athena cabin as he did. Pierce and I fought a lot, but it was always over trivial things. I almost missed the time we used to spend together, since we hadn't done anything fun together since we had arrived at camp.

"I don't know why you hate reading so much, Mara," Pierce mumbled, turning a worn page in a book titled _Truth or Myth?_ "It's fun and you can really learn a lot."

"Pierce, you are the only person I know who considers learning things to be fun," I replied, bouncing up and down on one of the beds.

Pierce rolled his eyes and focused his attention back in the book. I kind of wished I could focus the way he did instead of being so hyperactive all the time. Of course, being a huge fan of reading must really suck when your dyslexic. "Pierce," I mumbled, sitting down.

"Hm?"

"You know Annabeth isn't really our mom, right?" I asked. Pierce looked up at me with a questioning look on his face. "I mean, I know she's our biological mother and all, but she didn't raise us which means she isn't actually our mom."

"I guess," Pierce said, closing the book and putting it down on the bed next to him. "But, I mean, most people get one set of parents. Is it really so bad that we've got two? And I'm not saying that Annabeth is going to replace Mom because she won't, ever. I'm just saying that we don't have to be mean to her, and it's not betraying Mom to let her be part of our lives."

"I guess," I replied, knowing deep down that Pierce was right. That didn't make me feel any less betrayed knowing that Annabeth had given us up at birth and just suddenly thought she could be our mother now.

* * *

"Please be nice," Pierce said as we went to visit Annabeth after dinner. I nodded an answer for about the eighth time. I had every intention of being nice to her, and I had every intention of getting something in return.

"I'm glad you guys decided to come back," Annabeth said, holding the door open for us. Pierce smiled at her as we entered, but I didn't bother. There was no point in pretending this meeting was anything more than business to me.

"I'm just here to ask a few questions," I mumbled. Pierce looked angry but Annabeth simply looked like she had been expecting it.

"Alright," she said, sitting down and offering the two of us a seat. "What do you want to know, Mara?"

"Well, first, I'd like to know why Pierce is abnormally smart and I'm..."

"Stupid and annoying?" Pierce asked.

I glared at him.

Annabeth sighed. "Honestly, I wouldn't actually know. I guess it's because Pierce takes after Athena and you take after..."

"Yes?" I asked. She didn't respond. "Well, that brings me to my next question. I want to know who our father is."

"Mara, I can't tell you that?" Annabeth sighed.

"Why not? We have the right to know," I said angrily. Even Pierce looked a little dissappointed.

"I know that, but he doesn't want you to know," Annabeth replied.

I'm not even going to deny that that was a stab in the chest. It was bad enough that our birth parents had given us up, but to know that our father wanted nothing to do with us to the point that he wouldn't even let us know his name. Well, let's just say it hurt.

"I'm sorry," Annabeth said. "He has his reasons."

"I don't care about his stupid reasons," I said, crossing my arms.

"What Mara means is that it doesn't matter. If you can't tell us, you can't tell us," Pierce stated.

"That's not what I meant."

Annabeth sighed again. "Did you have any other questions?"

I regained my composure and continued on with the list of questions I had mentally prepared. "If we're half-bloods, does that mean we won't die?"

Annabeth shook her head. "I'm afraid we all die. There are many gifts that come with being half-bloods, but I'm afraid immortality isn't one of them."

"What about Olympus? Do we ever get to go there?" I asked.

"Not all half-bloods do, but some have. For instance, I've been there a few times. It really depends on the situation," Annabeth replied.

"And what if we have kids? Are they like quarter-bloods?" I asked.

"No. They'll still be half-bloods. although if half-bloods have children with gods, those children have a tendency to be stronger than normal demigods."

I took a moment to think everything over before asking my last question. "What's the chance of Pierce and me dying before we turn eighteen?"

Pierce turned to stare at me, complete and total shock on his face. I couldn't blame him. I was almost surprised that I had asked the question myself. Still, I needed to hear the answer.

"Mara, I wouldn't let that happen. I promise."

I knew promises were meant to be broken, but for once, I deeply hoped I was wrong.


	6. Chapter 5: The Last Shall Be First

**Come on, guys, please pick up the reviews. It's really nice and just thrills me ridiculously to see one small review for each chapter, so please take the couple of seconds to submit a review for this chapter. When I don't receive reviews, I have a tendency to become discouraged and question my work, so please tell me if this is any good. If you guys can't make an effort, neither can I. Thanks. :D**

Chapter 5: Secrets Are Meant To Be Spoken

Percy came back on Monday of the following week. I had no idea where he had been, but it was pretty obvious that he had had quite an adventure since he came back with a black eye and a visible cut on his cheek. The first thing I did was ask him what had happened. The first thing he did was slam a door on my face.

When Pierce and I returned to our daily practice session, I couldn't even try to ignore the tension in the air. My first thought was that Percy was mad at us, but that didn't make any sense. We hadn't actually done anything to make him mad at us.

"We're doing things a little bit differently today," Percy said, placing a few objects on the floor that were currently covered by sheets. "Instead of hand-to-hand combat, I want you guys to practice taking advantage of your surroundings. When given the chance, the items you find might just save your life, so being able to recognize them and use them to you advantage is a very important skill."

One by one, he pulled the sheets off of the objects on the floor. With each newly revealed item, Pierce's face lit up more. To me, they all looked like a bunch of junk.

"You two can go ahead and pick whichever one you want, but choose wisely."

Pierce closely examined each item, heavily weighing out the pros and cons. One object in particular caught my eye. Well, technically, _two_ objects caught my eye. They were sneakers with wings sticking out of the sides. I wasn't really familiar with the rest of the items, but those I recognized. They were Hermes' shoes, used for flying. Immediately, I picked them up and put them on.

Pierce settled on a baseball cap. That part wasn't very surprising. What really surprised me was the smile that formed on Percy's face, as if he had expected that. It didn't last long. Within a few minutes, Percy had put away the remaining objects and pushed a few barrels into the room.

I watched as Pierce put on the baseball cap and disappeared. Of course. "Are you two ready?" Percy asked.

"Um, what exactly are we doing?" I asked, feeling unsure.

"Get a mark on me," Percy replied. Of course, when I realized how easy it sounded, I knew that everything was about to get a whole lot harder. Soon, the barrels began to rattle, and water poured out. I rose into the air as the water splashed after me, waves of it pushing me into the solid ground. I wasn't sure where Pierce was, but I was pretty certain that he was better off then me.

It was as if Percy was only focusing on me. Every time I tried to rise into the air, more water dragged me back down to earth. I lay on the floor for a few moments, trying to think this through. There had to be some way I could get to him before he could get to me.

I felt a huge weight on top of me, as if someone had just thrown a bowling ball straight into my chest. "Sorry," Pierce mumbled, and the weight lifted. I got to my feet, turning to face Percy only to find that he wasn't there anymore.

Standing, thinking that this was some practical joke, I turned to find myself trapped in a prison of ice. Great.

I noticed Percy sitting in the corner of the room looking perfectly at ease. Of course he knew that no matter what I tried, I wouldn't be able to get an attack on him. At least when we were fighting with swords I stood a chance. This was completely unfair.

I sat down on the floor, my way of waving an invisible white flag. Percy smiled. His smile dropped as we both noticed a sword placed over his heart.

"I win!" Pierce screamed, taking off the baseball hat and materializing. I smiled and after a few moments, Percy did too.

* * *

Pierce spent the rest of the day bragging about how he beat me in something. I didn't really care. It was about time he finally got the glory for something.

At dinner, I sat with my usual crowd while Pierce sat with his. Nora smiled at me but it looked forced. "What's wrong?" I asked her.

"These boys won't leave me alone," she sighed, laying her head on the table. "They're Cupid's kids, and they're just such pigs."

I glanced over at the table of Cupid's children. Like I had expected, it looked just like the Hermes' table with more people than it could hold. A few of the guys were stealing glances at Nora, winking or smiling at her.

"Just tell them to back off," I said.

"I've tried," Nora replied, "but every time I get close, I chicken out."

"Nora, you've got to learn to stand up for yourself."

"It's not as easy as it sounds," she sighed.

Chiron chose that moment to stand in front of everyone gathered and began to speak. "We'll be enforcing some new rules around camp to assure safety. First, campers aren't to be outside of their cabins after 8 o'clock unless with an adult. Second, until further notice, no campers will be going on quests. Third, anything sent into camp by family members must first be thoroughly examined by a camp counselor before given to any campers. If you have any questions, please see me."

"What's that all about?" I asked.

"Didn't you hear?" Nora asked. "Demigods are going missing. No one knows for sure what's happening, but we all know it can't be good."


	7. Chapter 6: Secrets Are Meant To Be Spoke

**I'm really sorry that it took so long for me to update. I had some serious writers block just as I was getting to the climax of the chapter. Anyway, this chapter is longer than most of my other ones and I'm planning to have the next chapter up A.S.A.P. Sorry guys.**

**As had long been awaited, I will officially be revealing the father of Mara and Pierce in this chapter. Should be pretty interesting. Of course, I can't reveal all details just yet since I like the long, drawn out and suspenseful process, but be warned, nothing is as it seems. Oh yes, and don't forget to review. Thanks guys. :D**

**Chapter 6: Secrets Were Meant To Be Spoken**

Let's just say, I was worried. For the first week after the announcement, everything was normal. Or, well, at least as normal as things can possibly be at Camp Half-Blood. Pierce and I still had our regular sessions with Percy, I spent my free time with the Hermes' cabin, and Annabeth would talk to us and help answer some of our questions. It was after that first week that we heard news that someone else had gone missing. This time, a kid from camp.

We weren't supposed to know about it. This information was only for the adults at camp, but somehow, one of the campers had gotten word of the hoopla and spread it to their friends who spread it to their friends until it somehow ended up at the Hermes' table during dinner.

"I can't believe it was someone from camp, Mara," Nora cried. "It's just so horrible. It could have been one of us!"

"Do you know who it was?" I asked.

"A boy from the Aphrodite cabin. I never actually talked to him, but I used to see him around, you know, walking back to my cabin and stuff," Nora replied. "I just can't believe it."

"Can't believe what?" a boy asked, scooting into the already overcrowded table next to Nora. He had amazing blonde hair with beautiful ocean blue eyes, flawless olive toned skin, perfectly shaped features, an amazing smile, and a small, hard to notice, sprinkle of freckles across his nose. I didn't know his name, but I immediately recognized him as one of the boys from the Cupid cabin who was constantly bothering Nora.

"That a kid from camp is missing," Nora sighed.

"Aw, don't feel too bad," he said, hugging her and kissing her on the cheek. "The kid was a dick anyway."

"Stop it," Nora said, shoving him off of the table.

He stood up, brushing hair out of his face. "Who's your sexy little friend?" Oh boy, he was looking at me.

Nora rolled her eyes. "That's Mara. Mara, this is Liam."

Liam sat down next to Nora again, draping an arm over her shoulder. "You know, if you need a shoulder to cry on, mine's open." With that, he got up and returned to his friends at the Cupid table.

"Wow, he's a jerk," I started.

"Only sometimes," Nora replied. "He can be nice when he wants to be."

"Yeah, I'm sure," I said sarcastically. Nora didn't look happy about the remark, but she didn't respond.

* * *

Pierce met me after dinner. "Did you hear about the Aphrodite kid who went missing?"

I nodded. "Nora was pretty freaked out about the whole thing."

"Yeah, I know. Everyone at the Athena table was pretty worried too," he mumbled. "Annabeth said she wants to see us."

"Great," I sighed.

As I should have expected, Annabeth was pretty freaked out too. Actually, she was more than freaked out. She was verging on hysterical.

"I want the two of you to be careful about where you are and what you're doing. The last thing I need is for something to happen to you guys," Annabeth said. "I also want you guys to train more. If something happens, I want you to be prepared."

* * *

That was all it took to increase our practice sessions with Percy. The only breaks we took all day were for meals and sleeping once curfew was called. Other than that, we spent our after hour training with all different forms of weapons. Usually, something like this wouldn't bother me much, but it was pretty obvious that something else was going on that no one was sharing with me. Percy seemed very on edge and even a little annoyed every time we arrived, and Nora seemed a little out of it at meals. I wasn't sure if it was because of the trouble the Cupid table had been giving her or if it was because of something else.

On my way to lunch, I practically ran head first into Cal.

"Sorry," he muttered, walking around me.

"Hey, Cal, wait up," I called, not quite sure why I had. "I kinda wanted to apologize for what I said the other day. It was pretty mean."

"It's fine," Cal replied. "I mean, it's not your fault I can't take a hint."

"Can we start over?" I asked.

Cal smiled. "Yeah, sure, we can start over. I take it that means you want something."

"I just want to know what's been going on lately," I replied. "I mean, I've been pretty out of the loop."

"Not much," Cal said. "I mean, everyone's still looking for that Aphrodite kid, but no one has any leads as to where he might be."

"Wow, that sucks. His parents must be pretty upset," I said, thinking about how my parents would have had a heart attack if they hadn't been told Pierce and I were at a summer camp to help improve our school work.

"Not really," Cal explained. "I heard that he only lived with his dad and his dad was pretty much just an alcoholic that didn't really care much about him."

"Oh." I couldn't help thinking about what Pierce had said, about how lucky we were to have two mothers when half of the kids here didn't even have one.

* * *

After lunch, Pierce and I returned to our practice sessions. Instead of fighting Percy like we usually did, Percy set us to fight each other. Let's just say, I got a little carried away, and I'm just hoping Pierce will forgive me. He ended up having his arm ripped open in multiple places along with a twisted ankle.

"Pierce, are you okay?" I asked him after the final blow that had knocked him straight on his butt.

"I hate you."

I offered him a hand, helping him stand up. He was wobbly, and had trouble trying to get his feet to lead him where he wanted to go. Percy suggested I take him back to his cabin and I obliged.

Once Pierce was safely in his bed, slipping in and out of consciousness, I went back to Percy. When I opened the door, it seemed almost like he was waiting for me, his eyes glued to my face. "What do you want, Mara?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked, a million things running through my head.

Percy stared at me a moment more before sighing. "Only if you can make it quick. I have some things I need to be getting back to."

I walked in and sat down on the floor, trying to process my exact question into the right words. "I've been thinking a lot lately."

"About what?" Percy asked, his mind clearly somewhere else. His eyes were now focused at the wall.

"Well, you seem to know everything about camp, so I was just kind of hoping that you might know who my father is," I said, hoping he wouldn't just ignore me like Annabeth had.

"Mara," he sighed again. "You really shouldn't waste all of your time on this. It's not important."

"Of course it's important!" I said, in disbelief by how easily he was just brushing the whole thing off. "It's half of who I am."

"Your parents don't make you who you are. Especially not one who didn't raise you," Percy replied. "I grew up without my dad, and I can tell you that meeting him didn't change who I was."

"But just look at Pierce!" I persisted. "He's super smart because of Athena; our lineage. If whoever my dad is can help me fight, then don't you have an obligation to tell me."

"Mara, I don't have an obligation to do anything," he replied. "Why don't you just ask Annabeth."

"I did, but she said that my father doesn't want me to know," I sighed, completely exasperated by that point.

"And she's right. Isn't that enough for you?"

"But why? I don't understand why everyone else has the right to know, but I'm not even allowed to know about my own family. Whether you want to admit it or not, it does affect who I am!" I screamed.

"Mara," he said my name like it was a curse word, "I didn't tell you because every time I look at you I see the biggest mistake I've ever made."

I couldn't speak. It wasn't a direct answer, but it was all I needed.

"Why?" I asked, my voice just above a whisper. It was the only way I could prevent tears from pouring out of my eyes.

"This is why you're not supposed to ask questions that you don't really want the answers to," Percy replied, something hidden in his voice. "Now get out. I have things to take care of."

I didn't hesitate.


	8. Chapter 7: Hearts Were Made To Be Shatte

**Chapter 7: Hearts Were Made To Be Shattered**

When I told Pierce, he was just as surprised as I was. I managed to keep the worst mistake part out of my explanation. I knew it would probably bother him even more than it did me, and trust me when I say it bothered me. I just couldn't believe that our birth father hated us that much. He didn't even know us. At least, not really. Could he really hate us that much? Part of me wanted to cry and part of me wanted to scream. I had the information I needed. I should simply accept it and use it to my upper hand, but I couldn't. Everyone at camp seemed so proud of Percy, but I couldn't feel anything but hatred and disgust towards him.

Pierce and I talked about it for a while, but soon it was time for me to go back to my cabin and go to bed. The whole way back to the Hermes cabin, I couldn't help thinking that I didn't belong there anymore. I had been claimed. That meant I belonged in the Poseidon cabin. Even the excitement at the thought that I might be able to control water was torn down by what Percy had said. I had never truly felt hated by anyone, and now, of all people...

"Hey, Mara, where have you been?" Nora asked when I walked in. She was already dressed in her Minnie Mouse pajamas. "What's wrong?" she asked, picking up on my not so high spirits. "Did something happen?"

I shook my head and began getting ready for bed. "It's not a big deal," I said, even though I knew it was. To shake off the guilt of lying to her, I said, "I'll tell you tomorrow, okay? At breakfast?"

She nodded although she seemed a little disappointed. Or was she worried. I couldn't really tell, but then again, I didn't really care to know. At that moment, I just wanted to be selfish. I didn't want to think about anyone else's problems. I didn't want to think about the Aphrodite kid who had disappeared and quite likely murdered. I just wanted to think about my own problems and my own sufferings, pull the covers over my head, and go to sleep. And that's exactly what I did.

* * *

The following morning, I was the first person in my cabin to wake up. I debated on whether or not I should wait for Nora to wake up, but in the end, I decided that I just didn't want to. I pulled a robe over my nightgown and left the cabin.

It was dawn, and everything about the early morning sky was beautiful. There was a light breeze that brought in the smell of the sea. Normally, I would have thought it was beautiful, but the scent brought back memories of the night before and filled me with anger and resentment. I wondered if I would always feel an extreme dislike towards water from that moment on. I sure hoped it would go away. After all, I had always loved the water before. I couldn't imagine losing it as part of my life.

I wasn't sure where I was going, but it felt god to just keep walking and so I did. images around me began to blur together, and my feet became numb as they mechanically led me through camp, each place looking exactly the same as the one before it.

"Mara?" the sound of my name being the only thing that could shock me out of my trance. I turned to find Annabeth; the second to last person I wanted to see at the moment. "Honey, what are you doing out here?"

"Don't call me honey," I said, "and stay away from me."

"Mara, what's wrong?" Annabeth asked, looking obviously hurt by my words. I was starting to feel incredibly guilty that the pain on her face didn't even phase me.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, anger heating up behind each and every syllable. "I know he didn't want me to know, but you still could have told me!"

"Mara..."

"I had the right to know!" I screamed, tears pouring from my eyes. "All this time you've made me work with Percy and I didn't even know! Why couldn't I know!"

"Mara, I know it's not fair," Annabeth said, trying to calm me down. "Nothing about this situation is fair to any of us, but Percy had his reasons for keeping secrets and it wasn't my place to give them away."

"Yeah, reasons like he hates Pierce and me," I said, swiping at tears.

Annabeth wiped a stray tear from my cheek. "Other reasons," she said. "I know this is going to be hard to believe after everything I'm sure you've been through, but Percy really had been looking out for your well-being."

I scoffed involuntarily. "Yeah sure," I said sarcastically. "Because giving us up for adoption and then lying to us about our whole heritage is clearly for our well-being."

"You can't judge him, Mara. You don't have all of the facts," Annabeth stated.

"I can do whatever I want," I said, turning around. "And I don't want to talk to you."

Apparently that was all it took, because after a few moments, when I turned around again, she was gone.

* * *

When I went to breakfast, Nora continued to badger me about why I wasn't in the cabin when she woke up. I simply told her that I had been feeling cramped and that I needed some air. She didn't question me after that.

"Hey, Mara," Cal said before Nora and I could take our usual seat at the Hermes table. "Can we talk for a minute?"

"Uh, sure," I replied. Nora sighed, clearly upset that I was ditching her again. "I'll catch up with you later," I promised her, but she didn't even seem to acknowledge the fact that I had spoken.

Cal smiled at me, the same friendly smile he had used the day we had met. "I heard you got pretty upset last night when you learned who your father was."

"How did you hear about that?" I asked.

"Let's just say, word spreads pretty fast, and Percy told me this morning," Cal replied, a guilty look on his face.

"Wow," I said. "I didn't know you guys were so close."

"He kinda took me under his wing after my dad died and I got stuck here," Cal said, a faraway look on his face. "Anyway, I'm sorry about what happened. It must be pretty tough."

"I'd rather not talk about it," I said.

"If it helps any, I feel pretty betrayed by my mom sometimes too," Cal explained. "I like to believe that she had a good reason for abandoning me, but sometimes, it hard to see that any good could possibly come out of that. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is I understand how much this must hurt for you, and if you ever need someone to talk to, you can talk to me."

"Thanks," I said honestly. Despite my earlier comment about not wanting to talk about it, Cal's words really helped. It helped to know that I wasn't alone; that someone else had the same problem that I had. "I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

When I finally did sit down at the Hermes table, everyone seemed to be discussing something different. Nora was scanning the room, turning every now and then to whisper something to the rest of the group.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"You know how that Aphrodite kid went missing?" Nora began, waiting for my nod of a response to continue. "It turns out, ten other demigods have gone missing, only they weren't from camp, so we didn't hear about them."

"Wow," I said, digesting the information. "And they have no idea what happened to them?"

"Nope," Nora replied. "And it gets even worse. Someone else has gone missing."

"Who?" I asked.

"Hera."

* * *

Pierce and I were called to meet with Annabeth immediately after breakfast. We arrived at different times, so I wasn't able to speak to him before we found ourselves seated in front of our birth mother.

"Now, I'm sure the two of you have heard about Hera," Annabeth said, her eyes focused intently on us. We nodded simultaneously. Annabeth sighed. "The campers weren't supposed to find out just yet, but apparently somebody leaked it. Either way, you won't be able to train with Percy anymore since he'll be leaving. Instead, I want you two to train with the rest of camp. Study as much as you can and be prepared for whatever comes next."

* * *

Pierce and I had no clue as to what might be coming next, and that was the most frightening thing. If gods were going missing, what would happen next?

"I have some books we can read up on," Pierce said as we left Annabeth. "There's a lot of information about fighting tactics and different ways to get a good angle on your opponent. We can learn a lot."

"Pierce, just because you read a book doesn't mean you'll know how to fight a monster. Things like that take hard work and a lot of practice," I explained.

"Maybe, but when you don't have it, you do with what you've got."

"I want to talk to Percy," I sighed.

"Why? He hates us," Pierce replied.

"I don't care. If he's anywhere near as good of a person that everyone at camps makes him out to be, he at the very least has to care about us as people, and that means he has to realize that we don't stand much of a chance without his help," I admitted, although I knew I wouldn't be saying that to him.

When we did find Percy, he was packing. I wasn't sure where he was going, but I figured he would be taking on some special mission to try to save the missing demigods. Either way, I envied him.

"Mara, I don't know what you want, but I think you should leave," he said, barely sparing Pierce and me a glance.

"I, _we_, need to talk to you," I said. "You can't just leave," I said, disappointed by how whiny I sounded. "We still need training."

"And the world doesn't revolve around the two of you," Percy said, glaring at me. "More important things are on the line."

The conversation ended there. Percy pushed us out of the door and locked it behind us. It didn't matter either way. I knew we were on our own.


	9. Chapter 8: Battle Strategy

**Battle Strategy**

Without our own personal mentor, Pierce and I began practicing with the other kids at camp. Nora even offered to stay later than usual to battle me, but just like with Pierce, she wasn't much of a challenge. Not wanting to hurt her feelings, I let her win a few times, but either way, I knew that she wasn't quite helping me learn anything. I needed a real teacher, one who really knew that they they were doing. Pierce battled Nora a few times, and it seemed like they were actually challenging each other and enjoying themselves.

When I retreated to the Hermes cabin at night, I always felt out of place. Before I had fit in perfectly, and I couldn't quite figure out why that had changed. I figured it must have something to do with actually knowing my family heritage. Either way, it was almost uncomfortable to be around everyone in there. Their lives were continuing to go on in the same circular motion that they always had, but in the short time since I had arrived at camp, it felt like mine had stopped turning altogether.

"I need to get some serious practice," I told Pierce one day after breakfast. I wanted to stop thinking about my problems with the Hermes cabin and focus on my real world problems.

"Well, I would help you, but we both know that isn't even worth the hassle," Pierce replied. Part of me felt bad for Pierce. It was obvious he was trying and it was hard for him to actually not succeed in something for once in his life, but another part of me felt smug. It felt amazing to finally be able to do something better than my brother.

"I'll find someone," I assured him. "You should probably get some practice too."

"Why bother? I'll suck anyway," Pierce replied.

"Oh, come on, you're not that bad," I said.

Pierce sighed and didn't talk to me for the rest of the day.

* * *

"Mara," Cal called to me on my way to lunch. "I heard about you're dilemma."

"You were spying on me?" I asked.

"Um, no," Cal said. "I was heading to archery this morning and I overheard you and Pierce talking. Anyway, if you need someone to practice with, I can help you."

Immediately I thought back to my first game of capture the flag. I thought of the unreal way he managed to win the game for his team. Resentment swelled up in me along with a new bout of curiosity. There probably was a lot I could learn from Cal. Of course, being the prideful being that I am, there was no way I was going to admit that to him. "Practicing with you wouldn't exactly be much help for me, now would it?" I replied.

Cal looked embarrassed. "I know I'm nowhere near as good as Percy, but I know the basics," he said.

Now I was torn. I didn't want to admit weakness to him so I wanted to refuse, but I wanted to say yes to prove to Percy that I didn't need him. I knew that either way I would be making the choice for the wrong reasons, but either way, I found myself saying yes.

Cal wasn't anywhere near as good as Percy, but he was still a lot better than me. After the first few battles, I was already wiped but he seemed just fine. It seemed like every time I thought I had an advantage over him, he could knock my sword right out of my hand without a problem.

"Maybe we should take a break," Cal suggested after he knocked my sword away for the tenth time."It can be hard to fight once you get tired."

"I'm not tired!" I screamed.

"I never said you were," he replied, raising his hands in resignation. "I know I could use a break, though, if you don't mind."

I wasn't sure how he could be tired since I had been the one taking a beating, but I agreed anyway. We sat down and ate the lunch we missed. "What time is it?" I asked him, biting into a sandwich. I knew I was supposed to be practicing archery and other things as well, but it seemed more important for me to learn to fight combat. After all, what were the chances that I would have a bow and arrow with me?

"Noon," Cal replied, glancing quickly at his watch.

"Can we practice some more?" I asked. "I think this is going to be pretty important."

"Yeah," he said, glancing up at me for a moment and turning his head away. "I, um, I just need a couple minutes to sit out, okay? I'm getting a headache."

"From me?" I asked lightly.

He shook his head, still not meeting my eyes. "No, I've just had a long day."

"It's only half way over."

"That's why I need a break."

So we took a half hour break and went back to fighting. I was surprised to find that Cal was much easier to fight in the second round. I managed to knock his sword away from him just about every time, and he seemed to be getting winded a lot faster.

"Are you okay?" I asked him as we took a water break at about two o'clock.

"Fine," he replied. "I told you, I'm just getting a headache. It's kind of hard to focus."

"You look sick," I said, noticing how his already pale skin seemed to be getting paler.

"Is it okay if we just pick up again tomorrow?" Cal asked. I wasn't sure if he was insulted by what I had said or if he was really feeling sick. Either way I nodded, and that put an end to our lesson.

* * *

The following day, we picked up our practice as if nothing had happened. Cal seemed far more excited to fight me that morning, and once again, I found myself getting my butt kicked.

"I thought you were supposed to be teaching me how to fight, not making me look bad," I said.

Cal smiled at me. "Sorry," he said. He took my sword from me and demonstrated a few basic moves before giving it back and telling me to try. They weren't too hard once I took the time to really understand what I was doing, and soon, Cal and I were actually evenly matched.

* * *

Two weeks later, Cal and I were on our way to lunch only to find that everyone was excited. There wasn't a single table that managed to sit still. Everyone was jumping out of their seats, cheering and talking.

"What's going on?" I asked Nora.

"Percy came back!" Nora shrieked excitedly. "And he found that Aphrodite kid!"

I wished I could be just as excited as everyone else, but I couldn't. Percy was hero, but he would never be the father I wanted.

"Would you like to eat someplace else?" Cal asked, practically reading my mind.

We got our food and went out to the lake. It was hard to believe that Cal actually cared enough to keep me company after how mean I had been to him, but I definitely appreciated having him there. I wasn't the kind of person who needed constant attention, but I didn't exactly want to be alone either.

"I know it's hard," Cal said as we sat down and began picking at our food. "But it'll get better. It just takes some time."

"Really?" I asked in disbelief.

"Coming to Camp Half-Blood is a pretty big jump for just about everyone, and I know it's pretty hard for you with never having realized you were adopted, but it just takes time to adjust," Cal explained. "One day you'll wake up and find that nothing about this seems so weird anymore. Or, well, you'll realize that things aren't as bad as they could be."

"Yeah, I sure hope so," I mumbled back.


	10. Chapter 9: Words Have Never Mattered

**I'm sorry it took like two months to get this update up. For a while, I was considering canceling the story since the Lost Hero was coming out, but now that I've started reading it, it's inspired me so I plan to write a lot more soon. :) Please Review. **

**Chapter 9: Words Have Never Mattered  
**

Everything was going fairly well and I was managing to avoid Percy without much trouble until the day Annabeth told Pierce and I that we needed to start training with him again. Didn't she understand how hard it was to be in a room with Percy and just pretend that nothing was wrong?

Either way, the following morning Pierce and I met up with Percy to continue the practice sessions we had ended a few weeks before. Percy was still far better at all of this than Pierce or I could even hope to be, but it was obvious that his heart wasn't in it, especially when he began letting me win.

"You know, it's one thing to be a deadbeat dad, and it's another to let us die out of stubbornness," I said to him one day after practice. Pierce's jaw dropped as if he couldn't believe I actually had to guts to say it, and in all honestly, I was in slight disbelief myself.

Percy turned to look at me with a look so acidic, I was forced to look away. He canceled out practices for the next three days.

When we finally resumed again, we mostly did things like running laps, sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups. Percy stood on the side, watching us work our butts off, and yelling commands when we got bored. While running our fifth lap, I turned to Pierce to see he looked about ready to pass out. It was in that instant that I wanted to hit Percy. It was one thing to be upset, but it was another thing entirely for him to waste our time like this. We weren't learning a thing, and when push came to shove, we would easily die in battle. Didn't he care at all?

The following morning, I presented my argument to Annabeth. She still wasn't my favorite person in the world, but compared to Percy, she deserved an award. She sighed heavily, listening to me babble on about how useless our practices had become. She kept replying with, "I'm sure he has a reason." I wondered if she realized that the quote was getting old.

"I just don't get the point," I complained to Cal one day after practice. We only had an hour leeway between practice and curfew, and therefore, Nora was beginning to get pretty mad. She kept complaining that we hadn't been spending time to together, so I dedicated that one hour time to spend with her. Of course, after that, Cal began to feel a bit left out. Therefore, I decided that I would spend that day with him.

"Maybe he's just trying to get you in shape," Cal suggested, absentmindedly fingering the hilt of his knife. His lean fingers continued to run up and down the knife's spine, tracing our symbols and moving over bumps and ridges. "After all, I'm sure there are monsters our there that you won't be able to fight, and in that case, you'll have to be able to run pretty fast."

"At this rate, there won't be a single monster our there that I _can_ fight!" I groaned. "Percy's acting like a child. I can't believe he's letting his emotions interfere with his work like this."

Cal shrugged, and I had a feeling he was caught between saying something bad about someone he revered and making me angry. Not wanting him to feel awkward, I let the conversation drop. However, the topic still didn't leave my head.

* * *

When I got to breakfast the next morning, Nora was already seated at the Hermes table mumbling, "Keep looking forward. Keep looking forward," to herself.

"Are you okay?" I asked, placing my food on the table and taking a seat next to her.

Nora glanced quickly at me before turning to face forward again. "Me?" she said as if she didn't know that I was obviously talking to her. "I'm fine. I just have a stalker following me around."

i turned around, looking at the table behind us for said stalker. Of course, I found myself face to face with a bunch of guys from the Cupid cabin. I just couldn't understand why they had taken such an interest in Nora. It's not that Nora was ugly, because she was actually very pretty, but I would've thought that those Cupid guys would be more interested in Aphrodite girls. After all, it's not like the girls could be any less interested than Nora was broadcasting herself to be.

"They still won't leave you alone?" I asked, starting to worry for her safety.

Nora shook her head. "I just don't see why they can't find a more interesting toy to play with," she said, exasperated.

Having the worst possibly timing, Liam took that moment to slip into the seat next to her. "Hey Princess," he said, draping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her against him. "How are ya?"

"Go away!" Nora cried, allowing her head to slam heavily against the table.

"Don't be that way, Lenny," he said, pulling on her until her head was resting on his shoulder. he brushed some hair out of her face and began rubbing her arm soothingly. "Let me make it all better for you, okay?" he asked.

Nora shook her head and pulled away. "Leave me alone."

"Gross!" Nora shrieked, trying to swat him away.

"Hey!" I said, rising to my feet. "You heard her. Leave her alone."

"What are you going to do about it?" Liam asked, glaring at me. The look on his face was almost comical to the point that I couldn't tell if he was mocking me or seriously mad that I decided to stand up to him.

"No," Nora said, putting a hand on Liam's arm. "It's okay, really." Then she turned to look at me. "It's fine, Mara, really. You don't have to worry about it."

"That's right, _Mara_," Liam said in a mocking tone. "Mind your own business. Just back away slowly and no one has to get hurt."

I wanted to smack him so hard across the face. I got up and left the dining pavilion before I could.

* * *

I went straight from the pavilion to meet with Percy for our practice session. I wasn't really in the mood so see him, although I guess I never really was, but I went anyway figuring that at least I could get my anger our through a few push-up and some dummy slaying.

When I arrived, I found myself in for a huge surprise. Instead of the exercise mat he usually put out for us to do our sit-ups and push-ups on, the room was filled with an array of weapons and what appeared to be a fish tank full of water.

"Good morning, Mara," Percy said to me when I entered, the first words conversational words he'd said since he got back from his secret mission.

"Good morning," I replied a little unsure.

"Annabeth told me your brother isn't feeling well, so I figured I'd change tactics since it's just going to be the two of us," Percy said, taking off his shoes.

I was starting to get a little freaked out, but I managed to follow his orders when he motioned me to remove my footwear as well.

"I was hoping we could talk before we begin," Percy said.

"I don't want to talk to you," I replied, not bothering to hide the malice in my words.

"That's alright," Percy continued. "This actually doesn't involve much speaking on your behalf, so if you've nothing to say, feel free to just listen."

I wanted to object, but I figured this was the most progress we had made in quite a while, and it wouldn't be very wise of me to deter that. "Fine. What do you want to talk about."

"I know I've been cold to you lately, Mara, and I realize how unfair that's been. After all, none of what's happened has been your fault, and I'm sure things have been just as hard for you as they've been for me," he began. I found myself so utterly shocked that I couldn't even try to mutter a response. "I know it must be hard for you, being in a totally new environment."

He paused for a moment so I could say something. I managed to say, "you haven't exactly been a big help in that area."

"I know," he sighed. "Mara," Percy breathed, his green eyes locking on mine for a moment. I'd never realized before just how many similarities Percy and I had. Where Pierce was so very like Annabeth, I noticed now that I had Percy's hair, his eyes, his nose, his smile, and even now, that sad look in his eyes could also be seen in mine. It made my heart ache. "You know I never wanted to give you and your brother up. Annabeth and I never planned to have kids..."

"And let me guess," I interrupted. "When we just suddenly arrived you had no idea what you were doing. You just weren't ready so you figured it would be easier to burden somebody else with your problems."

"Not at all," Percy corrected me. "The two of you lived with us until you were six months old, but eventually Chiron helped us realize that it wasn't safe for you. It would never be safe for you here."

"You could've protected us," I said.

"I wanted to try, Mara, I did, but Annabeth saw what I didn't. If you had known what you were, you wouldn't have been too easy for monsters to sense. Annabeth and I are already targets for more danger than you can possibly imagine. How could we mix you up in that too? Annabeth knew that if we were selfish enough to keep you, you'd end up like most demigods; dead."

"So that's it?" I asked, looking him straight in the eye. "You just said goodbye and pretended we never existed."

"Chiron warned us that any extended contact would lead the monsters to you. The more time we spent with you, the easier it would be for them to find you," Percy replied. "Your mother thought it would be too hard for either of you to know who we were, so we let you believe your adopted parents were your birth parents."

"And you honestly expect me to believe that you were absolutely helpless in all of this. That you had absolutely no say over what happened to us?" I asked, tears threatening to pour from my eyes.

"Of course, not, Mara," Percy replied. "I had just as much choice in all of this as Annabeth did. I just thought it might help you to understand why we did what we did."

"You abandoned us!" I screamed. "You knew that monsters would want to kill us! You knew we weren't human! And still you left us alone with no one but mortals to keep us safe, and look what it's done! Monsters are still after us, and only now, we know absolutely nothing about how to protect ourselves! How could you do that to us? How can you sit there and pretend that you actually care about us? You already said that I was the biggest mistake you've ever made!"

Percy turned his head away. It felt wrong, Percy giving in like that. He was supposed to be the strong one. "I never said that," he whispered.

"Sure you did," I said, surprising myself by how calm my voice sounded. "You said, 'every time I look at you, I see the biggest mistake I've ever made.'"

Percy laughed. He actually laughed!

"I didn't mean you!" Percy replied, rolling his eyes at me. "Mara, I would never call you or your brother a mistake."

"Then why...?"

"I was referring to giving you up," Percy explained. "Do you know how hard it is for me to look at you and know that no matter how much I wish it weren't true that you'll never truly be my daughter?"

I felt really stupid at that point. Then I felt hopeful. Then I felt stupid again. Was I really going to convince myself that Percy really did care about Pierce and me? Then, had I just been even stupider for my first assumption. I guess I felt more confused than anything.

"Mara, I know I've been hard on you. I shouldn't have been, and I'm sorry. "It's just hard for me to look at you and see the person you've become and know that nothing of who you are is because of me. It's hard for me to see you and know that I'll never be your father."

I didn't know what to say. It was too hard, and I just couldn't find a way to put my feelings into words.

We sat silently for a moment before Percy said, "Anyway, we should probably get to work if you're up for it."

I nodded silently. A distraction would be nice.


End file.
